IMAN demonstrated potent direct killing of a patient derived pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumouroid model
IMAN is the world’s first neutrophil-based cell therapy, generated from the haematopoietic stem cells of donors with exceptional anti-cancer innate immunity
Clinical trials to commence in H1 2024
London, 4 May 2023 – LIfT BioSciences, (‘LIfT’ or ‘the Company’), a rapidly emerging leading biotech in neutrophil biology bringing to market a first-in-class allogeneic innate cell therapy, today announces preclinical data demonstrating that its Immunomodulatory Alpha Neutrophil product (IMAN) showed potent killing of pancreatic cancer tumouroids.
The tumouroid originated from a patient with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common type of pancreatic cancer, who was unresponsive to conventional chemotherapy treatment with Abraxane (nab-paclitaxel), but initially responded positively to Gemzar (Gemcitabine), after which the tumour aggressively returned and ceased to respond to either of the conventional chemotherapies. For these patients, there are limited alternative options available. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) may help a small proportion of patients, but ultimately, chances of survival are less than 5%.
In the tumouroid model, a similar outcome was observed with paclitaxel having no cancer cell killing effect, whilst a single dose of gemcitabine resulted in destruction of the tumoroid. In comparison, a single dose of LIfT’s IMAN resulted in potent destruction of the tumouroid. Importantly, unlike paclitaxel and gemcitabine which are fixed in their mechanism of actions, and with the initial effects of gemcitabine often not lasting as the cancer adapts to survive, the resulting IMANs have a unique ability to prevent the tumour from evading treatment by still recognising tumour cells as they adapt (as exemplified by Hirschhorn and colleagues in last month’s Cell publication on how neutrophils eliminate tumour escape). IMAN therapy benefits from not being dependent on just antigen recognition in tumours as for example a T-Cell does. IMANs have multiple threat recognition and killing mechanisms, as well as its ability to recruit the rest of the immune system and help other immuno-oncology therapies, including ICIs, to attack solid tumours more effectively.
Alex Blyth, Chief Executive Officer of LIfT BioSciences, commented: “After patenting our N-LIfT technology platform in 2016 to produce IMANs with the hope of creating a new way to destroy solid tumours, we continue to see our neutrophil based therapy successfully delivering against its promise as we move into clinic. These positive pre-clinical results in pancreatic cancer demonstrate the potential of our IMAN as an alternative and second line treatment option for patients who haven’t responded to currently available treatments. This is due to its unique ability to keeping killing cancer cells as they adapt and to recruit the patient’s immune system to give lasting immunity. We look forward to continuing to provide updates on LIfT Biosciences exciting research as we continue to work towards clinical trials starting in the first half of next year.”
IMANs have a unique dual mechanism of action as a cell therapy, where they both directly kill tumours and orchestrate the rest of the immune system to join the attack. This new direct killing data builds on previous data announced by LIfT using PDAC biopsies demonstrating that IMANs modify the Tumour Micro-Environment (TME) and then activate patients own immune cells into attack mode, such as Tumour Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs).
The data announced today in patient derived pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma organoid model builds upon data announced in September 2022 which reported that N-LIfT cell therapy showed tumour destruction across five different solid tumour types in PDX tumouroid models, and data announced in March 2022 which reported that N-LIfT showed potent tumour cell killing in a lung tumouroid model with significant superiority over current standards of care, Keytruda and Cisplatin.
About LIfT BioSciences:
LIfT Biosciences is a biotech, moving into clinical trials, bringing to patients a first-in-class allogeneic innate cell therapy platform called Neutrophil Only Leukocyte Infusion Therapy (N-LIfT). This breakthrough platform uses a patented process whereby the haematopoietic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) of exceptional donors are used to generate an unlimited supply of Immunomodulatory Alpha Neutrophils (IMANs) with exceptional anti-cancer innate immunity, to address the inherent limitations of the current class of allogeneic immune cell therapies. The N-LIfT platform can be used to produce different classes of IMANs, encompassing both iPSC-derived and gene engineered variants.
The Company’s vision is to develop the world’s first cell bank of off-the-shelf allogeneic ‘cancer killing and immune-modulatory neutrophils’ to deliver a portfolio of immuno-oncology cell therapies to treat solid tumours. LIfT BioSciences was founded by Alex Blyth following the death of his mother to pancreatic cancer.